S-Class
by Crystallight-star13
Summary: NaLu fanfic? with Gale and possibly GruVia. Summary: So what happens when Natsu takes a job, and one that's not so nice? (Yeah, I suck at summaries until I've completed my stories.) Rated M as future chapters will contain adult themes and mature content.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, nor anything else associated with Fairy Tail. I only own the plot of the following story.**

**Author's Note: I'm a working college student with two majors. I don't expect myself to post often but I will finish the story. I am currently writing ahead and hopefully will have a chapter to post each month, maybe sooner, maybe later. I do appreciate comments and critiques, but please don't slam me. If you don't like the story and/or don't like how I write, just don't read anymore. It's as simple as that.**

**Yes I realize that this is short, but I had to get this started. I'm currently working on future scenes and such. I'm not happy with this chapter and may eventually come back and edit it a bit (mainly the part towards the end). I plan on having the next chapter done in a couple of weeks as my finals are next week.**

* * *

Chapter 1

"Lucy!" A voice floated in through the open window.

"Nnnn. Not now mom," Lucy muttered. She stretched out leaving herself sprawled across her bed, face first into her soft pillow.

"Happy, I don't think she heard you." A second voice came from her window.

Natsu sat looking at the still sleeping Lucy with a little bit of contempt. He had something important to tell her, something he knew she would like. "Lucy, come on. Wake up."

Lucy turned her face to the left. She opened her eyes slowly. "I don't wanna… Ah!" She fell out of her bed onto the floor. "Natsu! What're you doing?" Lucy's face burst red with fury. She sat up on the floor, wearing her pajamas which consisted of a light blue tank top and white cotton shorts.

Natsu grinned. He loved waking her up, even if she did get mad at him. "I got a request and was wondering if you wanted to join me." He crawled through the window and stood on the floor. Happy flew through the window after him and sat on the table in her bedroom.

Lucy glared at him. "How much is it worth?" Her eyes narrowed. If this wasn't enough to cover her rent, she wouldn't accept and would help him find a new request, letting someone else take it.

Natsu's grin widened. "It's enough to cover at least two months' rent." He held her the paper.

On the bottom in large print, the paper read, "Two million?!" She dropped the paper, gaping in astonishment. "Are you serious?" She nearly fainted looking at the amount. "This is enough to pay off my rent for... I'm not sure!" She stopped talking for a second, thinking. "You didn't get this from the S-class board did you?" Her eyes narrowed.

Natsu quickly shook his head, then completely avoided the question asking, "So, are you gonna join us?" while Happy flew behind him.

Lucy smiled. She stood up off the floor and ran over to her dresser. Grabbing some outfits, she stuffed all but one in a bag. She turned sharply around and before rushing to the bathroom, she said, "Well, what're you still doing sitting there? We need to get supplies from the guild hall before we leave! I'll meet you there."

Once Lucy had turned the shower on, Natsu's smiled mischievously at Happy. "Good thing we didn't tell her it was an S-class request."

"Aye!" Happy replied.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, nor anything else associated with Fairy Tail. I only own the plot of the following story.**

**Author's Note:_ I can finally relax and write! Break weeks are so nice. This took me a couple of hours considering I've been working on it while at work. I hope it's good. Critiques are always welcome. I try to be as accurate as possible with how I write and the content that I write. If something doesn't make sense, please ask me about it. I might be able to get the next chapter up sometime next week. Then after that, since I'm taking summer classes, I'm not positive when the next post will be. I do know that I want the next chapter of Fairy Tail to be posted. I'm too impatient and having FT withdraws. Well, enjoy!_**

_Chapter 2_

The sun shone brightly through the window, blinding the person sitting in the window. As the train changed direction, she brushed her blonde bangs out of her eyes. Across from her in the compartment, a rose haired boy lay clutching his stomach. She looked at the squeamish boy concerned.

"Natsu, are you sure that you didn't want Wendy to cast Troia on you? It's a long trip you know."

Natsu groaned.

"I don't think he's going to respond Lucy." Happy looked at Natsu with sad eyes. "I wish he had accepted Wendy's Troia too."

Lucy stood up to sit next to Natsu and get the sun out of her eyes. The morning sky was beautiful to look at until it had started to blind her. She lifted Natsu's head, letting it rest on her lap once she sat down. _When will you ever learn?_ She petted his head attempting to calm him down.

Eventually, Natsu managed to fall asleep, calmed by Lucy's touch. "Thank you Lucy," he slowly muttered as he fell asleep.

* * *

Back at the guildhall, a redhead furiously raced down to a white-haired beauty passing out drinks behind the bar. She stopped quickly, letting her breath catch up with her. "Mira."

"What is it, Erza?" Mira addressed the redhead.

"It's gone." Erza recollected herself.

Everyone in the guild hall had stopped talking, staring at Erza wondering whether to cower in fear or pray for their soon-to-be-sorry guild mates who would face the wrath Erza attempted to keep hidden. When they realized it wasn't them, they went back to their usual chit chats.

"What's gone?"

"The mission we were to send to Gildarts."

Mirajane Strauss froze, her right hand froze in the middle of her pouring a glass of ale for Macao.

Macao sat watching the ale overflow out of the glass until the bottle had been emptied. "Uh… Mira?" he asked worriedly.

Mira snapped out of her trance. She quickly set the overfilled glass down in front of Macao before responding to Erza. "Have you told Master about this yet?"

"No. I just discovered that the thing was missing. Has anyone left on any missions today?"

Mira thought for a moment. Her eyes saddened. "Lucy, Natsu, and Happy left the guild early this morning and haven't been back since." She looked at Erza. "That mission was supposed to be sent to Gildarts for a reason that not even the townspeople who posted it know about it."

Erza stared at Mira, her eyes wide. "We must tell master."

Mira shook her head. "Master's away at the regular meeting. I'm not sure when he'll be back."

Erza began to pace back and forth. The air around her caused the guildhall to quiet down once again, all eyes staring at her with uncertainty and caution. "Then I'll take Gray, Juvia, Gajeel, Levy, Wendy, and Carla. We'll follow them as fast as we can."

"It takes a day by train to get there." Mira cleaned out some emptied glasses, giving Erza a concerned look. "You know this isn't the first time Natsu has run off with an S-Class mission."

Erza looked at Mira. "We can handle this as Fairy Tail's strongest team. Just why would the two run off without us if they're going to attempt a mission like that?!"

"Natsu probably didn't tell Lucy. I'm sure Lucy would have declined had she known what kind of mission it was."

"Natsu!"

"Erza." Mirajane stopped Erza right before she was about to leave to find everyone. "Take a couple cards from Warren so that way you can connect to everyone in the group if you get separated and us back here. I'll inform master once he gets back."

"Thanks Mira." Erza smiled warmly before her attitude changed quickly as she stormed off to find everyone.

Mira shook her head, sighing. Why haven't you made them S-Class mages yet, Master? she thought to herself. She continued on with her bartending a brilliant smile plastered upon her face.

Everyone in the guildhall had heard what the two had been talking about. They began to murmur amongst themselves what would happen to the sorry bastards. Thus, banter began, fighting broke out, and the guildhall returned to normal, at least for a while.

* * *

Lucy and Happy dragged Natsu off the train.

"We're here Natsu." Happy looked at his friend.

"We are!" Natsu jumped up, finally standing, on the platform. "I'm never getting on that cursed thing ever again."

"I've heard that one before," Lucy muttered under her breath.

"Lucy! Where's the place we're going again?" Natsu ran ahead with Happy following him.

"The town hall! Can't we find a place to stay the night and then go in the morning?"

"No! I'll find it! Right Happy?"

"Aye sir!" The blue exceed followed the pink haired idiot.

Lucy followed behind, the street lamps glowing. "I just want to sleep..."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, nor anything else associated with Fairy Tail. I only own the plot of the following story and my OCs who help move the story along. (Of course, some of the ideas for my OCs come from research on certain things.)**

**Author's Note:_ Alright guys! A new chapter! This chapter definitely threw me for a loop. I kept debating on whether I wanted to use the spell here or in a future chapter. (You'll know which one once you read it.) I decided to leave it here. I will be taking some creative liberties with spells and such in the future. Of course, some ideas are not my own. If they belong to anyone besides Mashima Hiro, they'll receive credit once I get their approval to use it. I'm not sure when I'll post next as I start summer classes next Monday. Don't worry, there will be NaLu moments to come. I'm setting this up so that there will be. I'm also debating on having some Gruvia and GaLe moments. Let me know if you think you'd like to see a bit of those pairings, although this will mostly be a NaLu fanfic. That's what it's been turning into as I've been writing more and more of it. Well, I hope you like this chapter. _****_Please leave comments. They're always welcome. And let me know if you think I should add in a bit of the other pairings. Enjoy! ^_^_**

Chapter 3

"No," she begged him. "Pl-please. A-anything b-but that." Her voice barely above a whisper as the man approached her unconscious partner lying on the floor. "Please. Take me instead."

The man whipped around, the hem of his black trench coat streaking around his legs to catch up. "You want me," he chuckled, "to take you instead of your friend here? Really? Now why on earth would I do that? I have no use for you, nor for your magic. Your friend on the other hand…" He looked at the heap of the rose-haired mage. The useful, yet arrogant, brat could be of some use to him. "Now, he has some potential for causing havoc and destruction."

This mission had gone wrong. The man was supposed to be easy to defeat, according to Natsu. Even the townspeople had thought that Lucy along with the Salamander would be enough. No one thought that Natsu would have been defeated, especially Lucy. He had worn the man down. Blood could be seen staining the pale blue shirt the man wore under cuts from the blast of the wall. Bruises dotted his arms where the sleeves of his trench coat had been ripped to shreds.

But then, the man had begun to act as if Natsu was simple a puppet, tossing him around as if he had strings attached to his arms and legs. Natsu had fought back vigilantly, and a bit violent per usual, until he had exhausted most of his magical energy. He had been able to put on an extravagant fight until he was cast into a brick wall, hitting his head in the process. The fight had started around midday, and now, as Natsu lay crumpled against the base of a wall, a blood red sunset painted the sky.

Lucy struggled to her feet, her clothes tattered like Natsu's. She couldn't let him take Natsu. She just couldn't, not after what he had done to her flaming partner. Natsu had given it his all, while this man just snuffed the flames right out of him. She staggered to the side before catching her balance. "I won't let you take him. As he would say, I'm all fired up." Lucy held her keys out. "Gate of the twins, I open thee. Gemini!"

Two blue alien-like creatures appeared in a puff of white smoke, before transforming into their master. They donned a towel as they had not replicated her since before the Grand Magic Games. Lucy ran to them, standing next to them. Gemini Lucy and Lucy joined their hands. "Survey the Heavens, Open the Heavens…" They began to say.

The man chuckled some more. "Have you not realize it by now? I cannot be stopped."

Lucy didn't care. She was going to try her hardest to save the person who was constantly saving her. "All the stars, far and wide, show me thy appearance with such shine. O Tetrabiblos…"

The man took a step towards her, his hand reaching out towards her. He had used most of his magical energy against the Salamander. The girl appeared weak to him. He suddenly stopped, orbs of light gathered about him.

Lucy closed her eyes. "I am the ruler of the stars. Aspect became complete. Open they malevolent gate. O 88 Stars of the Heaven…" It was now or never. Both she and Gemini's eyes flashed opened glimmering with a golden magic circle. " Shine! Urano Metria!"

The orbs of light converged around him. The stars shone brighter than the setting sun.

Lucy sank to the ground, hoping Happy had reached the other by now. She had done all she could in her power to prevent the man standing in front of her from taking Natsu away from her and Fairy Tail. She had used all her magical energy that as soon as Urano Metria had been completed, Gemini had vanished without a trace. With what little energy she had left, Lucy crawled over to Natsu. She lay her head on top of his chest, making sure she heard his heart beating.

As Natsu began to stir, the man, having been smashed into the ground by Lucy, stood slowly, his closed torn. "You…" He glared at Lucy warily. "Maybe you could also be of some use after all too." He fell forwards, landing flat on his face.

"Nnnn…" Natsu groaned as he slowly sat upright.

Lucy slid off his chest until she lay upon the ground next to him. "I did it." Her voice hoarse and lethargic.

Natsu perked up at her voice. "Lucy!" He exclaimed. He looked at the man they had just fought, wondering how he had been defeated. Natsu remembered hitting a wall and then… "Lucy. You defeated him?" His eyes grew wide with astonishment and pride. "I knew you could do it," he said, his signature grin shining profusely. Lucy smiled back at him before she herself fell unconscious.

Natsu lay back down, his left hand propping his head off the ground. He should probably take Lucy back to the village. By now, Happy should be there with everyone. He knew he should, but he felt completely drained, as he was sure she felt. He hadn't known what she had done to defeat the dark mad man. He only knew she had exhausted most of her magic power. He himself had barely any ability to move and used his magic and then some in protecting Lucy.

While Natsu lay on the ground thinking (for once) and Lucy lay asleep, a dark figure skulked in the shadows. His puppet had served him well, very well indeed. For now he knew just who the guild that had taken the village's request to rid of him was. He could use them, the two in front of him, more specifically their magical energy, to his advantage.

Natsu sensed the person in the shadows. He quickly jumped to his feet, a sudden surge of energy flowing through him. He picked Lucy up and carried her out the entrance he had forged during the fight. He would protect Lucy from whoever hid there. Whoever it was, they gave him a bad feeling. He burst of strength lasted him all the way into the forest outside the castle. He found a hidden grove, lay Lucy down, and fell to the ground asleep next to her, having used the last of his energy to get them to what he thought to be safety.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, nor anything else associated with Fairy Tail. I only own the plot of the following story and my OCs who help move the story along. (Of course, some of the ideas for my OCs come from research on certain things, or if I found nothing on that, I created it for the sole purpose of this fanfic.)**

**Author's Note: Thank you for the comments. I do my best to make sure that things don't seem so repetitive but it's kinda hard to catch all the time. :) This chapter took a bit of time. The little bit of GaLe that I've thrown in took me some time to write. (I pay more attention to NaLu than GaLe, but I do love GaLe.) And the NaLu moments that I've written so far, I love them. Of course I'm going to have to go back and edit them to make them even better! But those are still a few chapters away. And finally! New chapters! And so much fighting. Can't wait for the anime to continue. ****If you find anything strange/wrong and/or you don't understand, feel free to leave a comment or pm me. Commentary is always welcome. I also apologize. This chapter isn't very long. Future chapters will be longer, or shorter, depending on what the focus is. Well, without further adieu, the next chapter. ****_Enjoy! ^.^_**

Chapter 4

Erza strolled out from the town hall. Levy followed quickly behind. A melancholic air hung about them as they walked briskly back to the hotel the group had been able to afford. The train ride to the town had cost an arm and a leg, at least that's how it felt to their very small monetary funds.

Gajeel stood outside with PantherLily, waiting for the two to arrive. "So squirt, what'd you find out?" he asked. When Levy didn't respond, he stopped chewing on some iron and actually looked at her. His face filled with concern. "Something's wrong." He addressed Erza.

"I'll explain once we're with the others." Erza responded very matter-of-factly. She glanced back at Levy and sighed. "Levy, you can tell him. I don't expect everyone to be up this early."

Gajeel nodded. "Gray wasn't up when I left. I'm not sure about Wendy or Carla. Juvia didn't mention anything other than Gray when I slipped on her by accident," Lily responded.

Erza nodded. "I'll leave you two alone and get the others together. Join us when you're ready."

Both Levy and Gajeel nodded, while Erza walked inside.

Gajeel turned to face Levy. "So..." He couldn't call her squirt. It just didn't feel right at this moment. "Levy..."

"We came a few days too late." Levy blurted. Her eyes welled up with tears. "The request had been posted a couple of times before. Every time someone would come to take care of it, they'd disappear. Th-that's what h-happened to L-L-Lu-chan and N-N-Natsu."

Gajeel led Levy to a picnic table that sat a couple yards from the entrance, under a tree. "What do you mean?"

Levy closed her eyes, taking quite a few deep breaths. "Every wizard who responded to the request talked to the town's mayor. Only one came back, and he was almost on his deathbed saying that he had managed to knock out his opponent. He said that someone from a strong guild, such as Fairy Tail or Blue Pegasis, could probably take them out. When Natsu, Happy, and Lu-chan arrived, they had thought that two wizards from Fiore's strongest guild would be more than enough. But..."

"So, the mayor didn't tell them any of that at all?" Gajeel looked quite astonished.

"It's not that. Natsu had arrived a minute before Lu-chan and had told the mayor not to mention how difficult this request was. Lu-chan had no idea that this was an S-class request. She had no idea that the town began to suspect that there was a dark, or at least a rogue, guild involved. This would explain why Erza wanted to leave right away. I'm sure that Lu-chan had known once they arrived that we would follow because she realized that Natsu had taken an S-class request without her knowledge. "

"What about Happy?" Lily asked.

Levy attempted to calm herself to no avail. "Because we couldn't leave right away, Happy flew back here to find that we weren't here yet, but he had gotten word that we were heading out here."

"So where's Happy now?"

"...looking for them..."

Levy burst into tears, burying herself in Gajeel's chest, her hands rubbing her eyes. Instinctively, Gajeel wrapped his arms around her tiny body. He looked down at her, uttered her name, then looked up, forward.

"It'll be okay." Gajeel squeezed her slightly. "We'll find them."

Levy looked up at him with big, teary eyes. Her face born a sad, yet hopeful smile. She spoke not a word.

Gajeel looked back at her. "I promise." He kissed her forehead.

She dug her face back into his chest.

* * *

Natsu jolted awake to a scream, Lucy's scream, followed by a deadly silence. He looked around the room, not recognizing any of it. Two of the walls consisted of brick, while the other two consisted of a magical glass. The cot he sat on had been pushed up against one of the glass walls. He looked through the wall to see Lucy, lying on a cot in her own room, worse than before, as if she had been drained of all her magical energy.

A man stood inside Lucy's room, by the door. Natsu felt a rage grow through his chest, which caused him to punch the glass wall between his and Lucy's rooms. The glass shattered, having only been regular glass, leaving gashes.

"Lucy!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, nor anything else associated with Fairy Tail. I only own the plot of the following story and my OCs who help move the story along. (Of course, some of the ideas for my OCs come from research on certain things, or if I found nothing on that, I created it for the sole purpose of this fanfic.)**

**Author's Note: Finally! Another Chapter! Well, it's not that long. I've been working more on the next few chapters. I just finished editing this one. And beware the OC. I might have created him, but to me, he became more than I wanted, especially on the creepy side. I promise some Nalu moments. I've been working on those. And I plan on finishing this by the end of the summer, otherwise I'll be on a long hiatus due to the fall semester, with a sporadic chapter here and there. I hope you enjoy! :)**

Chapter 5

"Who are you and why are you hurting Lucy?" Natsu growled.

"I am Vesper." The man smiled cruelly. "I did not expect wizards such as you two to be the ones to attempt to rid this place of me. You defeated one of my best men. Your magic will prove useful in my quest to demolish the council. "

Natsu glared, his eyes burning with fire. He attempted to light his fist on fire as he sprang towards Vesper, ready to pulverize him to dust. He missed, slamming into the wall.

Actually, Natsu hadn't missed. Vesper had simply avoided the attack. It was as if Natsu had simply passed through him.

Meanwhile, Lucy stirred in her cot. Her eyes opened to a scene of Natsu attacking Vesper. There was something off about this though. Magic! Natsu's not able to use his dragon abilities. But why?

Lucy stretched to sit up, sore from earlier. She felt something around her ankle, a golden anklet. She looked at Natsu, the anklet on him glowing red. Her eyes widened with an understanding.

"Natsu," she said, loud enough for him to hear.

Natsu ceased his attack, looking back at Lucy. His eyes reflected his pain and anger. He began to walk towards Lucy, wanting to make sure she was alright, to understand her plea for him to stop.

"The anklets," Lucy said. "They prevent us from using magic."

"To be more precise, they take your magic," Vesper corrected Lucy. "That would be why yours, Ma Cherie, is golden and your partner's is red. Other than putting that on you and bringing you here, that's the only thing we've done to you."

"Then why was Lucy screaming?" Natsu growled. He turned, completely facing Vesper.

"Well isn't it obvious? She was slightly conscious when we put the anklet on. Having her remaining magical energy drained from her, besides enough to sustain her life, caused her pain." Vesper's eyes moved past Natsu towards Lucy. "I didn't want to hurt her. She's way too... voluptuous to go to waste."

Lucy shrank as close to the wall as possible. A haunting look of lust and domination from Vesper disgusted her. The emphasis he had on the word 'voluptuous' frightened her very core.

Vesper suddenly appeared in front of her so that she was able to see him clearly. He stood at 5'10". His dark red eyes gleamed underneath his midnight blue hair. A dark purple blazer, with. the left sleeve ripped off, and dark blue jeans adorned his body. His ripped arm implied a ripped body. Lucy would have loved looking at him if he didn't resonate an evil, and creepy, aura.

He reached his left hand towards her, taking a handful of her hair in his hand. "Ma Cherie," he whispered, leaning in close. "I could free you of your entrapment if you were to join me."

Lucy's entire body shivered at that comment. "Why would I leave my friends?"

Vesper's ran fingers down her cheek, then he lifted her face to look at his. "You do not have much of a choice." A menacing grin stretched across his face.

Panic entered her eyes while she desperately looked around Vesper towards Natsu, her eyes wide with terror.

Natsu heard every word and implication Vesper had meant. His anger rose immensely, following his fiery aura. "Don't you lay another hand on her." Natsu growled.

* * *

Happy flew above the forest surrounding the town and the side of the mountain. This had been his fifth trip today, flying around searching for his friends.

"Natsu!" The blue exceed yelled. "Lucy!"

He continued flying on, until he heard a crash come from somewhere higher up the mountainside. He looked up to see a rock slide. "Natsu's up there!"

Happy flew higher, yet he was unable to find the source of the rockslide. He flew back towards the town in order to find Erza and everyone else, to let them know that he was sure he had an idea where Natsu and Lucy could be.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, nor anything else associated with Fairy Tail. I only own the plot of the following story and my OCs who help move the story along. (Of course, some of the ideas for my OCs come from research on certain things, or if I found nothing on that, I created it for the sole purpose of this fanfic.)**

**Author's Note: Two chapters in one week. O.O Well, maybe I'll have some more out. So I hope you guys like this. It's starting to show more of Vesper and what his intents are. OH! and it's NaLu time. :3 This chapter was pretty fun. But we might not even see these two next chapter. Vesper is truly taking a form of his own. I hate when OC's do this... And sorry if Natsu seems very ooc. It's pretty hard for me to determine how he'd act and what he'd be thinking for parts of this. Well, I hope you enjoy. Comments are always welcome. :)**

Chapter 6

"Natsu..." A gentle, caring tone floated through the air.

"We should be safe here."

Safe, Lucy though. Were they truly safe?

_Vesper snapped his fingers, Natsu's flames vanished, and some of Vesper's henchmen appeared. Lucy felt herself being dragged to a different room. Where were these people taking her? What were they going to do with Natsu? They handed her a silk dress, willing her to put it on. It was simple enough, yet very open up top. They forced her to put the dress on, dressing her themselves._

_She sat in there for what seemed to be an eternity, on a vanity bed surrounded by rose petals. Lucy deemed this attempt despicable, when Vesper entered the room._

"Thank god we lost them..." A shudder engulfed her entire body. Even though it was the middle of summer, the night air felt cold against Lucy's skin, causing goosebumps to form. She leaned against the wall of the cave/hut, her arms wrapped around her knees, tucked up against her chest.

_"Natsu is it?" Vesper flicked his wrist, Lucy was taken, and Natsu was surrounded. "I think we'll play a little game."_

_"Let Lucy go! Or you'll pay." Natsu leered at Vesper._

_"Well, Natsu. You seem to like her, quite a bit. We're going to have a little fun, Lucy and I. You'll get to watch the whole thing, from a separate room." Vesper turned around and strolled to the door. "Take him by any means necessary to the room."_

"I'm gonna kill him. " Natsu stood close to the entrance, his forehead pressing his left arm up against the wall.

_Natsu glared at Vesper through the glass. His blood began to boil, yet Natsu couldn't move. Vesper's men had knocked him out before tying him up. His chains appeared weak to him but Natsu had no choice but to watch the scene that began to unfold before him, for he was surrounded by Vesper's men._

Lucy sat silently. She slightly understood his anger. He would have acted this way had any other friends been the target of a vicious lecher, yet there was something there that Lucy couldn't exactly pinpoint. A different air wafted about him, almost a protective one.

_As he approached, Lucy crept back until she hit something hard. Vesper leered at her and climbed onto the bed pinning Lucy between him and the wall. His face rested only a few inches away from hers. He turned his head towards a mirror. "Let's have a little fun, shall we?"_

"That bastard..." Natsu's voice fell to a low murmur.

_Vesper's eyes locked with hers. He grabbed her arms and put them above her head, against the wall. He leaned in and kissed her. He moved down to her neck. Lucy struggled to get away. She gathered up enough energy to push him off her. As she attempted to jump off the bed, Vesper grabbed her waist and pulled her back. He chained her hands to the bed. Lucy struggled to move and Vesper began to pull at her dress, ripping it. _

_He crawled on top of her. "You shall be mine."_

Lucy rested her head against her knees. She closed her eyes, attempting to rest unsuccessfully.

Footsteps from Natsu slowly approached Lucy. Natsu stopped directly in front of her, softening his gaze. He himself had been bewildered by what had occurred. The moment Vesper had begun to touch Lucy... No! The look that Vesper had given her, full of lust, had lit a flame somewhere inside him. He had stopped thinking and let his emotions take over. He truly couldn't understand why he felt like this.

"Lucy..."

"Hmm?" She looked up at him with tired eyes.

"I..." His face turned bright red.

"Sit down." Lucy smiled softly to him. "You have to be tired after all that running and carrying me."

"You weren't exactly a light load. Haha."

Lucy glared at him briefly before putting her head back on her knees. Natsu sat down next to her.

Natsu's clothes remained tattered and torn. Lucy couldn't stand the outfit she was in. Having been torn partially by Vesper and their escape, she had managed to turn it into a top and skirt. If Lucy could have, she would have summoned Virgo and asked her to bring them some new clothes, but the her anklet continued to drain the majority of her magical energy.

Natsu's glowed bright red, having had to overcompensate for his sporadic behavior.

"Do you think Happy found everyone?" Lucy turned her head to look at Natsu.

Natsu nodded.

"Think they're searching for us?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course they're looking for us!"

"But will the find us?"

"Sooner or later."

Natsu's behavior surprised Lucy a bit. He was usually so fun, so very optimistic and energetic. "I guess the anklet and the fight left you drained, huh?"

Natsu remained silent.

"I'm sure it did." Lucy lifted her head, resting it against the wall behind her. "I don't even have enough magic energy to summon Virgo to get us clothes that don't look like rags." Sigh. "Natsu...thanks for getting me out of there."

Natsu flipped over onto his hands and knees in front of Lucy in a flash. He looked deep into her eyes. "Since when do I need to be thanked?" He blushed a bit. "You normally just smile at me. A smile is enough."

Lucy smiled, her cheeks turning red.

"Like that." Natsu sat back. "A smile is enough."

There was a long, content silence before Lucy said, "Since when are you so serious? Hmm?"

"Heh heh..." Natsu looked up at the ceiling, scratching the back of his head.

"And so overprotective of me?"

Natsu froze. "I..."

"Natsu..." Lucy looked to her right, away from him. "I have a question." Silence. "Do you li..."

On impulse, Natsu kissed Lucy. He didn't want her to finish that sentence. He was struggling with this understanding, yet why did he kiss her?!

Lucy sat shocked, her eyes wide, before she kissed him back. When Natsu pulled away, Lucy hugged him, her arms around his waist, her head buried into his muffler and neck.

Natsu wrapped his arms around her. "Maybe..." He buried his own face in her hair. "Maybe I do," he murmured.

Natsu noticed her breathing slow, felt her grow heavier. He pushed her away from him, only to pull her close once he lay down on the ground, his muffler now around Lucy for the night had grown colder. He rested her head on his chest, letting her take as much warmth from him as she could. That was one thing the anklet didn't affect.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, nor anything else associated with Fairy Tail. I only own the plot of the following story and my OCs who help move the story along. (Of course, some of the ideas for my OCs come from research on certain things, or if I found nothing on that, I created it for the sole purpose of this fanfic.)**

**Author's Note: Alright guys! Sorry for the long wait. I've been uber busy with conventions and the start of a new semester. I'm double majoring in EE and Music Performance so I'm quite busy during the semesters. I know that the fighting scene isn't the greatest. I'm still working on those. I have some for future chapters that I'm starting on... they're really hard for me. :/ Ah well, ****I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.**** Comments are always welcome and thank you to those you have commented and such! Enjoy! 3 :)**

Chapter 7

Erza smashed through the hole in the brick wall donning her Heaven's Wheel Armor. Hundreds of sharp steel swords flew towards Vesper's men. They fell left and right. Only six of Vesper's men were left standing, ten of his best mages.

"You have caused me a lot of trouble." Vesper stood across the room from the group. "So much trouble that my dessert has run off. If you can beat my men, then maybe I'll think that you're worth my time to battle." With that, Vesper disappeared.

The mages prepared to attacked.

"Let's go guys. Ice make lance!"

"Juvia will help too!"

Two of the mages fell to the ground. Gray and Juvia turned to fight another mage. This one had such an impeccable strength and tough skin that they found themselves having trouble.

"You two!" The mage roared, his muscles ripping his shirt apart. "I, Aloin, will avenge my fallen brethren, and bring you to my master for… services." His eyes gleamed viciously.

Wendy stepped up to help them, but another mage attacked her before she could help. She hit the wall behind her, not knowing who had attacked her.

"You're mine little one." A small, speed devil stopped 10 feet in front of her. "I think that we'll be a perfect match."

"Sky Dragon's Roar!" Wendy responded.

The speed devil dodged her attack.

"Sky Dragon's Wing Attack!" "Sky Dragon's Claw!" This last attack brought her out towards the middle of the giant room.

Her opponent moved quickly, gliding in and out of her attacks easily. He flashed behind her, ready to grab her and run off. He almost succeed if Gray's ice hadn't covered the ground from one of his attacks. The mage slipped, sliding into a mage whom Levy faced.

"Gajeel!" Levy sent a flying 'Iron' over to him. He turned around just in time to eat the 'Iron' in one bite.

"Thanks Squirt! Now," he turned to his opponent. "You're gonna tell me where Lucy and that flame brain are otherwise I'm going to shred you into a million pieces."

Saying nothing, Gajeel's opponent disappeared, reappearing behind him. He pushed Gajeel forward. Gajeel turned around quickly and sent the silent one flying through the wall out into the forest below with his roar.

"Alright! Only 5 more to go!"

* * *

As the night continued, Natsu found he couldn't sleep. Lucy had lain curled up against him for quite some time now. He looked at her sleeping face, her soft plump lips... He shook his head and faced away from her.

Since when had he looked at her like this? Since when had he begun to feel these emotions? When had he stopped thinking about Lisanna and started thinking about Lucy? Since when did he think about things like this?!

Natsu stood looking at the blonde he had met earlier. He hadn't realized it until now, but he was on a boat as he slunk to the floor. But that blonde girl taken captive by an imposter... He did not only wanted to punish the imposter; he wanted to help this gorgeous blonde haired babe, yet he couldn't figure out why.

Natsu sighed. The rise and fall of his chest caused Lucy to stir. Natsu froze. He could feel her readjust, her right hand skimming across his chest down to his waist, pulling herself closer to him. Her chest pressed up against his side, her head fitting perfectly in the crook of his neck. Her eyes fluttered open for a brief moment before closing again.

Once he thought she had fallen back to sleep, he slid his right hand from her shoulder to her waist. For such a busty, and slightly heavy girl, he felt as if she was tiny laying next to him.

To be honest, he had thought this ever since he had saved her from the faux Salamander. He had to admit to himself now, that she wasn't just anyone. She was his. He felt responsible for her. He wanted to take care of her and protect her, more than he wanted to protect any of his other friends. He...

"Stop it." He muttered to himself. He nudged Lucy's head until he could turn his head to face towards hers. He let all his thoughts, normal and abnormal, flee his mind, leaving only his feelings. He slowly leaned his head towards hers, his eyes softening and closing the closer he came.

Lucy opened her eyes slowly, barely getting a glance of Natsu before she felt his lips brush against hers. "N-Natsu..." She stated softly. When he had begun to pull away at the sound of her voice, she wouldn't let him. Her right hand quickly shot up to hold the back of his head and neck, bring him back to her for a kiss.

The kiss was long and passionate. Once they pulled away to breathe, they began to kiss over and over again. Their tongues eventually met with Natsu turning his body to pull Lucy closer to him. They lay chest to chest for the longest time, just kissing until Lucy pulled away.

"Natsu, I..." A rosy blush crept up to her cheeks. She rolled away from him quickly as she was saying, "I l-l-l..."

"...love you…." Natsu pushed her onto her back as he finished her sentence. He leaned in to kiss her again, his hands holding her wrists to each side of her head. He let go of her wrists and began to explore her body, carving out her curvy sides and hips. His hand wandered back up her side, hesitantly heading for her chest.

Her bandeau top, horribly torn, came completely undone as Natsu's hand crept underneath. He slowly moved his head, kissing her, until his mouth was right next to her ear. "I want you," he whispered. "Only you." Chills shot up her spine, causing her to gasp.

Natsu pulled his head away from hers, looking into her eyes. Right as he began to caress her, they heard a loud crash outside the cave. He pulled back, glancing at Lucy's worried face. He listened to the sounds of someone scrambling to their feet, muttering about some "bloody mages". Whoever it was had crashed into the trees, roughly half a mile away from the cave Natsu and Lucy were in.

"I'll be back okay? You should be safe here." Natsu's voice sounded so gentle, yet so impeccably worried.

"Natsu..." Lucy grabbed his jacket. "You know that you can't do anything either. Why don't we go check it out together?" She smiled at him.

Natsu shrugged uneasily. "I guess..."


End file.
